Crowbar (American band)

Crowbar
Origin	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genres	Sludge metal
Years active	1989–present (2001–2003 on hiatus)
Labels	Zoo, E1 Music
Associated acts	Acid Bath, Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Eyehategod, Kingdom of Sorrow, Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Valume Nob, Melvins
Website	Official website
Members
Kirk Windstein Matthew Brunson Pat Bruders Tommy Buckley
Past members
Todd "Sexy T" Strange Craig Nunenmacher Steve Gibb Kevin Noonan Matt Thomas Jimmy Bower Sammy Duet Tony Costanza Rex Brown

Crowbar is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana, characterized by their extremely slow, low-keyed, heavy and brooding songs that also contain fast hardcore punk passages. Crowbar is considered to be one of the most influential metal bands to come out of the New Orleans metal scene.

History

Origins (1988-1991)

The band dates back to 1988, when Kirk Windstein joined the premiere hardcore punk band Shell Shock in New Orleans.^[1] He there met Jimmy Bower, who was their drummer, and both quickly became friends. The band collapsed when Mike Hatch, their guitarist, committed suicide in late 1988 (some Pantera fans believe that this was the inspiration for the song "Hollow" off of their 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power). The band, replacing Hatch with Kevin Noonan, carried on as Aftershock,^[2] where Windstein and Bower began to play low-tuned hardcore punk mixed with doom metal. Under that name they released a demo in mid-1989, and then renamed themselves WREQIUEM, with Mike Savoie, their bassist, leaving the band (He went on to direct music videos for Crowbar, Down, and Pantera), and Todd Strange joined them. Then in 1990 they renamed themselves The Slugs, and released a demo in mid-1990, but the band collapsed. Kirk considered becoming the guitarist for Exhorder. But Kirk and Todd reformed the band, with Craig Nunenmacher as the drummer, who was later replaced by Tommy Buckley (Soilent Green), and Kevin Noonan again on guitar. The band renamed themselves Crowbar in mid-1991.^[3]

Career (1991-present)

Crowbar's debut studio album, Obedience Thru Suffering, was released in 1991, but failed to achieve notoriety. By 1993's self-titled (Crowbar) album, personal friend Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down and Superjoint Ritual) produced the record, which eventually led to national promotion on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. In addition, the videos for "All I Had (I Gave)" and "Existence is Punishment" were played on Beavis and Butthead. Following this success the band went on to record music videos, embark on major tours with Pantera, and record more albums.

Their stage antics, immortalized in the Pantera "Home Video 3" and Crowbar's "Like Broken" home video, became infamous. The band continued recording and touring. In 1994, the Pantera video for the song 'I'm Broken' showed Philip Anselmo wearing a Crowbar / Eyehategod t-shirt. Original drummer Craig Nunenmacher left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Jimmy Bower from Down and Eyehategod, and for their 1996 release Anselmo sang back up on a few tracks on "Broken Glass."

In 2000, after recording and releasing Equilibrium with Sid Montz on drums, original drummer Craig Nunenmacher rejoined the band, for the "Penchant For Violence Tour" with "the Brotherhood of Brewtality" Black Label Society and Sixty Watt Shaman. Half way through the tour, Nunenmacher replaced BLS's drummer Phil Ondich and pulled double duty for the rest of the tour, eventually joining BLS permanently.

The band continues to perform, borrowing members from New Orleans metal bands like Goatwhore and Acid Bath. In their recent 2005 release, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, Pantera bassist Rex Brown lent his bass skills and keyboard playing. Down's producer, Warren Riker, assisted in production.

Also in 2005, "Existence" appeared on the Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection #3 DVD.

In March 2008 it was announced that their albums — "Crowbar" (1993), "Time Heals Nothing" (1995) and "Live+1" EP (1995) will be reissued in Europe on April 21, 2008 with bonus and multimedia tracks.^[4]

The band is also known for covering other band's material and putting a heavy spin on it. Crowbar covers Gary Wright's, "Dream Weaver", on their Equilibrium album and Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow" on "Odd Fellows Rest", and Led Zeppelins "No Quarter" on "Crowbar".

On May 24, 2009 it was announced that Phil Anselmo's Housecore Records would be re-releasing Crowbar's back catalog.

As of September 2010, Crowbar is currently under contract with E1 Music^[5] and released their ninth studio album, Sever the Wicked Hand, on February 8, 2011. This date is the 6th anniversary of the release of their previous album, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden.^[6] The band embarked on a six date UK tour in January 2011.

Members

Current members

• Kirk Windstein – vocals and guitars (1989–present) (Down and Kingdom of Sorrow)
• Matthew Brunson – guitars (2009–present) (Kingdom of Sorrow)
• Pat Bruders – bass guitar (2005–present) (Goatwhore)
• Tommy Buckley – drums (2005–present) (Soilent Green and Christ Inversion)

Former members

• Mike Savoie – bass guitar (1989)
• Todd "Sexy T" Strange – bass guitar (1989–2000)
• Wayne "Doobie" Fabra – drums (1991)
• Mitchel Leonard – guitars (1991)
• Craig Nunenmacher – drums (1991–1995, 2000, 2004–2005) (Black Label Society)
• Kevin Noonan – guitars (1989–1990, 1991–1993)
• Matt Thomas – guitars (1993–1997)
• Jay Abbene – guitars (filled in for some shows at the end of 1996) (Wrathchild America)
• Steve Gibb (son of Barry Gibb) – guitars and backing vocals (2004–2009) (Kingdom of Sorrow and Black Label Society)
• Jimmy Bower – drums (1989–1990, 1996–1998) (Eyehategod, Down, Superjoint Ritual, Corrosion of Conformity and Debris Inc)
• Sammy Duet – guitars (1998–2002) (Acid Bath, Goatwhore)
• Sid Montz – drums (2000)
• Tony Costanza – drums (2001) (Machine Head)
• Rex Brown – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard (2004–2005) (Pantera, Down)
• Jeff "Okie" Okoneski – bass guitar (Near Life Experience, Alyze, Skarrd)

Discography

Studio albums

• Obedience Thru Suffering (September 26, 1991, Pavement Music)
• Crowbar (October 12, 1993, Pavement Music)
• Time Heals Nothing (May 23, 1995, Pavement Music)
• Broken Glass (October 29, 1996, Pavement Music)
• Odd Fellows Rest (July 7, 1998, Mayhem Records)
• Equilibrium (March 7, 2000, Spitfire Records)
• Sonic Excess in its Purest Form (August 8, 2001, Spitfire Records)
• Lifesblood for the Downtrodden (February 8, 2005, Candlelight Records)
• Sever the Wicked Hand (February 8, 2011, E1 Music)

Live albums

• Live +1(EP) (March 29, 1994, Pavement Music)

Demos

• Aftershock (1989, Self-released)
• The Slugs (1990, Self-released)

Music videos

• "Subversion" (1991)
• "All I Had (I Gave)" (1993)
• "Existence Is Punishment" (1993)
• "The Only Factor" (1995)
• "Broken Glass" (1996)
• "Like Broken" (Full Length Home Video) (1997)
• "I Feel the Burning Sun" (2000)
• "Dead Sun" (2005) (Filmed in Miami, Florida around August 2004 and directed by John-Martin Vogel and Robert Lisman)
• "Lasting Dose" (live) (2005)
• "Planets Collide" (live) (2005)
• "Scattered Pieces Lay" (live) (2005)
• "Slave No More" (2005) (Filmed in Miami, Florida on June 21, 2005 and directed by John-Martin Vogel and Robert Lisman)
• "The Cemetery Angels" (2010)

DVDs

• Live: With Full Force

Setlist:

• (1) "Self-Inflicted"
• (2) "I Am Forever"
• (3) "The Lasting Dose"
• (4) "Burn Your World"
• (5) "New Dawn"
• (6) "High Rate Extinction"
• (7) "Planets Collide"
• (8) "All I Had (I Gave)"
• (9) "(Bonus Materials)"

Studio: Candlelight, DVD Release Date: February 6, 2007, Run Time: 90 minutes^[7]

See also

• Music of New Orleans‎

References

1. ^ Encyclopedia Metallum: The Metal Archives
2. ^ NOLA Underground – RIP Bands
3. ^ NOLA Underground – RIP Bands
4. ^ "CROWBAR Albums To Be Reissued". Blabbermouth.net. March 20, 2008. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=93299. Retrieved 2007-05-17. 
5. ^ BLABBERMOUTH.COM – CROWBAR Signs With E1 MUSIC – June 14, 2010
6. ^ BLABBERMOUTH.COM – CROWBAR: New Album Track Listing, Audio Samples Available – Nov. 23, 2010
7. ^ Live With Full Force by Crowbar @ ARTISTS direct.com – Shop, Listen, Download

External links

• Official website
• Candle Light Records Current label
• NOLA Underground Music Scene